An About Hillman Grad paragraph has been added to the end of the release dated September 7, 2023.
The updated release reads:
INDEED, HILLMAN GRAD, AND 271 FILMS LOOKING FOR BIPOC FILMMAKERS TO TELL THE STORY OF THE FUTURE OF WORK FOR RISING VOICES SEASON 4
Indeed, a leading jobs and hiring platform, is now accepting applications for Rising Voices Season 4. In collaboration with Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and actor, Lena Waithe, her company, Hillman Grad, and 271 Films, Rising Voices aims to discover, invest in, and amplify stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) filmmakers and storytellers.
“We've been blown away by the filmmakers that have come through the Rising Voices program over the past three seasons. Their brilliant work and ongoing success in the industry is a testament to the importance of amplifying underrepresented artists,” says Waithe and Hillman Grad CEO Rishi Rajani. “Our partnership with Indeed is helping diverse filmmakers tell their stories, change perspectives, and open up opportunities for those who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance. We are thrilled to launch Season 4.”
Executives from Hillman Grad, 271 Films, and Indeed will select 10 finalists for the Rising Voices program, with films again focusing on the Future of Work. Indeed will give each of the chosen filmmakers up to $100,000 to produce their film which will debut at the Tribeca Festival. In addition, they will be mentored by Lena Waithe, as well as executives at Hillman Grad and 271 Films. The filmmakers will be compensated $5,000 for writing an original script and $5,000 for directing.
“At Indeed, we know that talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” says Indeed CEO Chris Hyams. “We are incredibly proud that Rising Voices is continuing to break down bias and barriers and help people get jobs. The previous three seasons have given us extraordinary work, and I cannot wait to see the powerful stories about the future of work that we can tell in Season 4.”
“It’s important that underrepresented voices are able to share how the future of work is impacting them and their communities,” says Indeed SVP of ESG, LaFawn Davis. “Through Rising Voices, not only do they get the opportunity to tell the stories, but we get the opportunity to hear them.”
Since its launch in 2021, Rising Voices has created over 2,000 jobs, from production to cinematography, for its 30 films, and has received over 1,600 applications. It is proven gateway into the entertainment industry, with filmmakers going on to:
- Win $1 Million through the AT&T Untold Stories Grant for, an award only given to one filmmaker per year
- Win Best US Screenplay for a Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival
- Participate in the HBO Short Film Award Program
- Be recognized by Sundance, Austin Film Festival and Hollyshorts
- Direct episodes of ‘The Chi’ on Showtime, ‘American Born Chinese’ on Disney+, and commercial work for Jeep and Oakley
- Become a Netflix staff writer for sketch show ‘Go Off with Jess and Julissa’
- Be accepted into Netflix Content Creator Program x Ghetto Film School and Sundance Latine Fellows
Season 3 filmmakers have said:
"The biggest takeaway from this program is to build our community to tell our stories." - Miguel Angel Caballero, The Ballad of Tita and the Machines
"This is an opportunity for us to become somebody who can give opportunity to other people." - Hannah Bang, My Nights Glow Yellow
"Being a part of Rising Voices means doing this journey not quite so alone." - Jackie! Zhou, Order for Pickup
"Not only is there this incredible budget but there's this incredible community and infrastructure." - Justin Kim WooSŏk, Sarajin
Filmmakers interested in participating should visit the Rising Voices website and submit their screenplays no later than October 22, 2023.
Indeed has been in contact with both the Writers’ Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA to ensure that Rising Voices Season 4 will be compliant with strike rules from each union.
About Indeed
More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world (Comscore, Total Visits, June 2023) and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs in more than 60 countries and 28 languages. Almost 3.5 million employers use Indeed to find and hire new employees. More than 300 million unique visitors use Indeed each month to search for jobs, post resumes, research companies and more.
About Hillman Grad
Hillman Grad was founded by actor, producer and Emmy®-winning writer Lena Waithe and CEO Rishi Rajani to empower and provide industry access to underrepresented artists and amplify the stories of diverse, historically marginalized communities across all industries. Hillman Grad Productions, their development and production arm, currently have projects at Netflix, Disney, BET, Showtime, HBO, Universal, Amazon, and Focus Features. Current producorial projects include the Emmy-nominated documentary film Being Mary Tyler Moore and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival award-winning films A Thousand And One, which received the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and Kokomo City which received the NEXT Audience Award and NEXT Innovator Award.
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